REGENERATING OUR COASTS

Using biodegradable structures to facilitate

restoration efforts along our coasts

Coastal wetland restoration can be challenging as impacted areas may have lost key hydrological or soil features that are needed for plant seeds and roots to establish and thrive. In these scenarios, restoration via natural revegetation may not be possible.

Biodegradable structures that slow water flow and encourage soil accumulation while also mimicking nature’s design provide a solution for coastal restoration challenges.

The Regenerating Our Coasts Research Program

Regenerating Our Coasts is a multidisciplinary program that encompasses two overarching themes: Restoration & Outreach. We will trial biodegradable structures to promote coastal regeneration, while assessing broader opportunities for these facilitated restoration techniques in Australia (Objectives 1 & 4). We will also educate and engage the public, stakeholders and industry on how facilitated restoration techniques can benefit the ecosystem at local scales and beyond (Objectives 2 & 3). Together, this program aims to advance the health and stewardship of our coastal ecosystems through meaningful ecological and social impact.

Research

We will trial biodegradable structures to promote coastal regeneration, while assessing broader opportunities for these facilitated restoration techniques in Australia

Outreach

We will also educate and engage the public, stakeholders and industry on how facilitated restoration techniques can benefit the ecosystem at local scales and beyond

About the biodegradable structures

BESE-elements®, produced by BESE in the Netherlands, is a 3D lattice made of compostable potato starch from industrial waste. These structures degrade in 2-10 years depending on the material and the ecosystem in which it is used. This sustainable, non-toxic lattice mimics key coastal soil conditions that promote seedling and root establishment.

For example, the structure slows water movement, allowing for soil accumulation and seed capture. Roots of seedlings or co-transplanted plants are able to establish as the structures stabilise the soil. BESE-elements have been shown to promote revegetation of seagrass and saltmarsh ecosystems in Europe and North America.

Given the extent of coastline conversion in the last 200 years as well as the push for restoring blue carbon ecosystems, there is enormous potential for this technology to facilitate and accelerate coastal restoration practice in Australia.

Find out about BESE-elements at https://www.bese-products.com/

Project partner and funding

This 3-year program is funded Beach Energy.

Latest news

Follow #ReGenOurCoasts on Twitter,LinkedIn, and Instagram for ongoing updates about Regenerating Our Coasts.

Monitoring mangroves to measure success: highlights from a #ReGenOurCoasts citizen science day

By Blue Carbon Lab | Comments are Closed

Regenerating Our Coasts is moving into an exciting phase – mangrove seeds planted into our trial plots over summer have germinated andRead more
Growing Outreach and Engagement to #ReGenOurCoasts

By Blue Carbon Lab | Comments are Closed

We recently celebrated World Wetlands Day. This year the Convention on Wetlands wants to focus on efforts to reverse the global trendRead more
BCL hosts Lunch & Learn session to involve Beach Energy employees in conversations about coastal wetland restoration

By Blue Carbon Lab | Comments are Closed

Last week, the BCL team had engaging discussions with Beach Energy employees about the importance of coastal wetlands and blue carbon forRead more